


Pennies From Heaven

by PureCacophony



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: 1930s, F/M, Jazz Age, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-06-02 07:45:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6558163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PureCacophony/pseuds/PureCacophony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you own a relatively busy shop in the middle of Chicago, it was hard to remember every person that came into the shop- even the regulars. At least, that's what the owner of said shop, Ryan Ross, thought. Except for one customer.</p><p>He would always slink in every Wednesday evening nearly an hour before closing time, putter around with some instruments, and leave without even a word. Most days the man was completely silent, not even a whisper leaving his lips. </p><p>     Whoever the man was, he intrigued Ryan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

      When you own a relatively busy shop in the middle of Chicago, it was hard to remember every person that came into the shop- even the regulars. At least, that's what the owner of said shop, Ryan Ross, thought. Except for one customer.

     He would always slink in every Wednesday evening nearly an hour before closing time, putter around with some instruments, and leave without even a word. Most days the man was completely silent, not even a whisper leaving his lips.

     Whoever the man was, he intrigued Ryan.

* * *

 

     It was a nearly dead February day, the first time Ryan heard the man sing.  
      
     That day, Ryan had a total of about 10 customers come into his shop, so he spent his time in the back, fixing instruments, listening for the sound of the bell above the door.

     In the midst of restringing a violin, a familiar piano tune reached his ears, shortly accompanied by the sound of a powerful voice. It shocked him really, he didn't expect to hear the man ever sing. However, he knew the song. Pennies From Heaven, by Billie Holiday. Well, Bing Crosby, but Billie Holiday's version had the piano.

     Wandering up towards the large display grand piano and singing along quietly, he stopped between two trumpet displays. "You're really good." Ryan spoke over the piano.

     The man at the piano abruptly stopped playing and singing, turning to face Ryan, obviously embarrassed. Ryan almost felt bad for stopping him. "O-Oh, hi! Sorry for y'know, touching the piano. Was my singing annoying? I didn't know you could hear it."

     Ryan laughed. Did this man really think nobody could hear? "You have a great voice. And a great taste in music. I have that song on a record in the back somewhere."

     The other man smiled, and it was contagious. He stood up, and held out a hand for Ryan to shake. "The name's Brendon. Brendon Boyd Urie. You are?"

     "Ryan Ross. I own this shop. You come in here every day."

     "I do. It's awfully difficult to find a place to play music as a journalist."

     "You're a journalist? I've always wanted to be one of those. Or a musician."

     "I've always wanted to sing. You know those big singers right now like Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Gene Autry and The Andrews Sisters? I've always wanted to be like them."

 

* * *

 

 

  
     Talking to Brendon Urie was rather refreshing. The two of them ended up talking until long after closing time.

     Upon glancing at his watch, Brendon stood up. "Well, Mr. Ross, it's best that I get going, before the streetlights go out."

     "Please, call me Ryan. It was nice meeting you, Brendon."

     "You seem like a pretty swell guy, we should get a drink at the bar a few blocks down some evening." Brendon smiled as he adjusted his waistcoat before pulling on his overcoat.

     "Of course. Farewell and goodnight, Brendon." Ryan gave a small wave to Brendon, who was putting on his hat. Brendon smiled brightly before disappearing into the night, leaving Ryan to close up shop.

     Ryan quickly closed up shop and headed upstairs, to his small flat. His cat, Captain Knots, always welcomed him, and even went downstairs during the day to roam around the shop and catch the mice.

     Ryan gave the cat a small kiss before heading to his bedroom and taking off his tie. He pulled off his waistcoat, trousers, and button up shirt and changed into his nightclothes before sitting on his bed and grabbing his journal off the nightstand.

    Writing in his journal was comforting. Although he never got to be a journalist, he still wrote a lot of journal entries, short stories, and even songs.

     Turning on his oil lamp and grabbing his pen, he wrote in his journal about meeting Brendon. Brendon, who was so charming. Brendon, who was a giant ball of energy and life. Brendon, who could talk about nothing for hours and make it interesting. Ryan, for some reason, found himself wanting to talk to Brendon more.

     Thinking fondly of his new friend, Ryan set his journal aside and drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

 

     Days went by, and Ryan found himself anticipating Brendon's arrivals. Once he arrived each day, the two would talk for hours at a time, and play music together, almost completely disregarding the rest of the world.

 

* * *

 

 

     "Ryan?" Brendon inquired on a late March evening whilst the two were talking. It was past closing time, around 8 o'clock.

     "Yes?"

     "Why don't we go for that drink?" Brendon smiled, and Ryan smiled too.

     "Sure. Let's go." Ryan stood up and grabbed his hat and coat, heading towards the door. For some reason, Ryan found himself happier when he was with Brendon. He did have a few friends, and he spoke to them often, but Brendon... Brendon was different, and Ryan couldn't even place why.

     Ryan stepped out into the crisp March air, taking in a breath. The streets were almost empty, and the lights in the other shops were out. Brendon followed behind, matching Ryan's steps as they started to walk.

     "What bar are we heading to?" Ryan looked up at the streetlights, fixing his hat.

      "The Green Gentleman. It's not really a bar, more of a jazz lounge."

     "I cant say that I've heard of it. Is it nice?"

     "Quite. They usually have really nice live jazz. I would love to sing there."

     "I'm sure you could some day. You have a wonderful voice."

     "I'm flattered, Ross," Brendon grinned and pointed at an upcoming sign with bright lights around the edge of it. "There's 'The Gentleman'"

     "It's not far at all. I'm surprised." Ryan raised his eyebrows. He definitely thought it would be a lot further than it actually was.

     Their conversation ceased whilst they both walked towards the lounge. Smells wafted from the building as the doors opened and closed - most notably tobacco and whiskey.

     They both entered the lounge, Ryan glancing around and taking in the music. Some woman was singing on a small stage, accompanied by a small jazz band. Ryan let himself smile a little bit as Brendon and himself walked over to the bar and sat down.

     "Good evening, what can I get for you?" The bartender turned around and smiled before looking at Ryan, instantly dropping his jaw. "Ryan?"

    "Patrick! I haven't seen you in a dog's age!" Ryan grinned brightly. This was great! They hadn't seen each other since graduating school, and Ryan was amazed at how they hadn't even run into each other.

     "Yeah, just moved back here two weeks ago. I was in New York for a bit, played at some jazz clubs. Came back here just recently and bumped into this Pete Wentz fella. Real cool guy. Anyways, he offered to give me a job singing his songs every other night, as well as tending the bar on the days I don't."

     That explained it. "Patrick, this is my friend, Brendon. Brendon, this is Patrick." Ryan watched as Brendon and Patrick shook hands. Maybe the two could be friends as well.

     Brendon and Patrick grinned at each other happily, and it warmed Ryan's heart just a little bit. He wasn't somebody who had many friends at all, so it was nice seeing two people he cared about getting along. 

  
     Just as Patrick was serving the two men whiskey on the house, a young woman started trying to chat up Brendon. Ryan wasn't going to lie, she was quite the looker. He swished his drink around in his glass before taking a sip, looking the girl up and down.

 

    

    


	2. Chapter 2

     Brendon had told him that her name was Sarah. In a way, Ryan was happy that Brendon had found somebody, but he was also disappointed that that person wasn't him. Envy is what he refused to call it. It was more of a yearning feeling. He yearned to be more present than Sarah in Brendon's life.

     Brendon was his friend, so why wouldn't he?

     People had always told Ryan to find a nice girl to settle with, but no matter how hard he tried, none of them seemed... Right? He deeply cared for all of them, he really did, but there was no romantic attraction present.

     This happened with nearly every relationship he had. And after some thinking, Ryan decided that he was going to go to Spencer to sort out his troubles.

     As it was Sunday, Ryan's music shop was closed, and usually he would be going to church, but today he just couldn't. He had to go see Spencer.

     Spencer lived about two hours away with his fiancée, Linda, and both of them were incredibly close with Ryan, the latter often thinking of them as his best friends.

     Ryan rode the train for two hours, reading his newest novel for most of the ride. When he got off the train upon arriving at the station, he made his way through crowds of people who were meeting family and friends.

     The inside of the station was surprisingly quiet. Then again, it was Sunday, and people usually didn't travel this early, especially on this day.

     With little effort, Ryan found a pay phone to use to call Spencer. He dialed his friend's phone number quickly, and waited. A small smile graced his face when Spencer picked up.

     "Hello?"

     "Spencer? It's Ryan. I just got off the train. I'm at the station now. Can you come pick me up? I really need advice."

     "Oh, Ryan! Yeah, sure. Should we go grab a coffee or something?"

     "Alright. How long until you get here?"

     "About twenty minutes, if I hang up now."

     "Okie Dokie, Spence. See ya soon." With that, Ryan hung up. Turning around, he seemed to have caught the eye of a young broad, as a young woman was staring at him intently.

     She had darker hair that was pulled back into a bun, and her skin was fairly tanned. Ryan raised his brow as she stood up from her spot on a bench, holding a small brown suitcase, and sauntered over to him.

     "Where are you from?" She asked curiously, her eyes not leaving Ryan.

     "Chicago." Confidence was radiating from the woman standing only a couple feet away, and it made Ryan feel almost a little small.

     "Really? I was just on my way to return to Chicago. By the lack of bags you have, I suppose that you're going to be back there by tonight," All Ryan could do was nod as the woman pulled a pen out of her coat pocket and scribble on the page of a pocket sized notebook. With a wink, she handed him the piece of paper after tearing it from the book.

     Of course, written on it was a phone number, with a name underneath. 'Helena.' This girl was obviously very straightforward. When Ryan looked up from the paper, Helena was gone, supposedly to catch the departing train.

     Weird. It didn't take long for her to leave at all. She didn't even ask for Ryan's name. Shoving the paper into his trouser pocket, he stepped out front of the station and took a seat on a wooden bench to wait for his friend.

     Time passed slowly as he watched people walk by, going along their daily lives, wondering where they may have been going, or even wondering what their names were.

     Ryan was pulled out of his thoughts by the sight of Spencer pulling up to the station in his baby, his Peugeot 302. Seriously, Spencer treated that thing like a child. It weirded Ryan out a little bit, if he was a hundred percent honest.

     Ryan stood up and jogged to the car, hopping in the front seat next to Spencer, who gave him a wave in return. "Ryan, it's been a while."

     "I suppose so. How are you and Linda?"

     "I'm fantastic, and Linda's doing quite well. Our wedding's going to be in July, a nice summer wedding. After that we both want to start a family." Ryan couldn't help but smile at Spencer's bashful expression as he started the loud car and pulled out onto the road.

     The loud rumble of the car was rather relaxing to Ryan, and he never usually got to ride in automobiles, as he lived in inner Chicago and it was easier just to walk everywhere.

     "So, Ryan, where should we go? There's a quaint little coffee shop not too far from home, if you would like to stop there for lunch. You must be hungry."

     "I guess so. Coffee would be nice," Ryan shrugged his shoulders as he stared out the window.

     "Anything exciting happening in the life of George Ryan Ross?" Spencer let out a laugh, making Ryan roll his eyes.

     "One, don't call me George," He glared jokingly to make a point. "And two, not really. Met a swell guy named Brendon Urie. He's a pretty cool guy. I also met up with Patrick Stump from school. Remember him?"

     "The rather short blonde one who can play a million instruments? Yeah, I remember him. What's he up to now?"

     "He sings at a club not far from my shop. Bartends as well."

     "That's fantastic! Do you have any young dame in your life?" His mind immediately flashed to Helena, the woman from the station. It was clear that she was interested in Ryan, but Ryan wasn't sure if he returned the same interest, despite her being quite a lovely looking woman.

     "Not really, no. Just haven't found the right one, I suppose," He sighed softly, the small shops along the streets catching his eye.

     Spencer pulled up along the curbside and parked the car, turning the engine off. "Here we are."

     Muttering a quick thank you, Ryan hopped out of the automobile, walking towards the tiny coffee shop. He waited for Spencer and held the door open for the two of them, following his friend inside.

     "So, just a coffee, Ross?" Spencer put his hands in the pockets of his waistcoat, leading Ryan to the counter to place their orders.

     "Yeah. Black. Just the coffee," Ryan mumbled as he sat across from Spencer. After getting their orders of two coffees and a donut for Spencer, the two friends made their way to a table, sitting across from each other.  
  
     "So, what problem is so urgent that you have to take a train all the way down here?" Spencer inquired with a smile, fiddling with the napkin holder with one hand.

     "I need advice," Ryan replied quickly after taking a sip from his bitter coffee. Hopefully Spencer could help him, or at least give him advice on what to do.

     "Oh? On what?"

     "I don't know what to do. I should be settling down by now with a nice woman, but nothing seems to be working out. All of the girls that I've ever been with loved me, but I was never able to return the feelings. Is there something wrong with me?"

     By now, Spencer had finished picking off his donut, and his happy expression had suddenly turned to a concerned one. Ryan stared at him with curiousity, as his friend leant in towards Ryan as to not be overheard by anybody. "Ryan, I think I know what it is, and I'm incredibly sorry if this isn't true."

     The low whispering was rather concerning, but Ryan was eager to know what Spencer had to say. However, he leaned in and copied Spencer's position. "What, what do you think?" By now he was borderline desperate for an answer.

     "Ryan... Have you ever considered the possibility that you may be... You know,"He lowered his voice even more. "A homosexual?"

     Ryan was shocked. How could Spencer even say such a thing? To speak of that certain subject in public was taboo! "Spencer... I-I'm not..." All Ryan could do was gape at his friend like a fish before standing up and leaving the shop, taking off down the street. He needed to go home. Now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos are much appreciated! Please, tell me what you think!! :))


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